Confined freedom: Questioning concept of free choice

Artist says in reality we are chained and bound to social norms

LAHORE: A group show of 16 paintings and photographic works titled ‘From the Corner of My Shadow’ by three artists is currently on display at the Paint Bucket Art Gallery.

One of the artists, Ashna Khan’s series of art work titled ‘Confined Freedom’ in medium photography and acrylic painting questions the concept of free choice.

“My work is inspired from the fact that we live in a world that gives us the facade of freedom, but in reality we are chained and bound to social norms given by the society,” Ashna said while speaking to The Express Tribune.



“They (societal obligations) are like a noose that constricts us subconsciously from any decision freely and we have to tiptoe around what we really feel in order to align these social norms,” she added. According to Ashna, through the series he has tried to shows the struggle and emotions like anger, hope, disappointment and isolation of an individual’s living in a place where there is no concept of individuality.

Another artist Hasnain Awais’s work in oil painting with mixed medium revolves around futile state of mind, a feeling that everyone experiences at a certain point in their lives.

“We all go through such stages of life and how everything is collectively brought together to a state that is futile,” Hasnain said.

“Life with all its glory and diversity can also come to a point where everything suddenly becomes pointless, yet some times futile can be fruitful,” he added. Artist, Ayesha Akbar’s work is an attempt at stretching the boundaries between the image you saw at a particular point and the image you recall which creates ambiguity.

Ayesha said she started out by questioning: what is art and what couldn't be art? “I came across photography and used it as a source for my painting. Shifting of images from monochromatic to polychromatic created new possibilities,” she said.



She added the opposing pallet dimensions and surfaces used by her allowed the viewer to interpret the work differently.

The paintings will remain on display at the gallery till January 29th.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2017.